Tag Archives: Mackmyra

I enjoyed my first experience of Mackmyra, The First Edition, with its distinctive earthy and coniferous tones. This expression been replaced by a new variant, known as Svensk Ek. However, this new release is considerably more expensive where I live (and is getting lower scores to date in my MetaCritic Database).

Mackmyra has also released a new entry-level core expression, known simply as The Swedish Whisky (or Brukswhisky). Like Box Dalvve reviewed recently, this new core line is a light Swedish whisky with some peated malt added to the mix. Matured primarily in first fill bourbon barrels, it also includes whisky aged in sherry and Swedish oak casks. And best of all, it is only $50 CAD at the LCBO (which is cheaper than any name-branded Scottish single malt). It is bottled at 41.4%.

Let’s see how it compares to other Swedish whiskies, of similar style, in my MetaCritic Database.

While it doesn’t score as highly as The First Edition, this near-overall-average score for my database is very impressive for an entry-level malt.

Here is what I find in the glass.

Nose: Fresh and clean aroma, with vanilla and citrus notes dominating (lemon peel in particular). Green apple and pear, plus cherries (which is distinctive). Pine and juniper. Fresh hay. Not getting any overt signs of smoke here, but it is a bit salty. Just a hint of acetone (less than I expected for the price and presumed youth). Light and youthful, but well-constructed for the style.

Palate: A touch creamier now, with even more vanilla and some of caramel. Loads of citrus (lemon and grapefruit), and even more pine. Red berries. Cinnamon and a bit of all-spice. Earthy, in a way I’ve come to associate with Mackmyra (i.e., a touch of anise and mixed conifers, eucalyptus). Some tongue tingle (surprising for the low ABV). Watery overall, which detracts (definitely lighter than First Edition). On the way out, I’m getting a faint of hint of smoke – although it is coming through more as an underlying mustiness.

Finish: The spiciness lingers the longest (cinnamon in particular), with some cracked black pepper now. Otherwise, light vanilla frosting and some caramel. Bitterness rises at the end, unfortunately.

A very respectable entry-level dram – young without tasting youngish. It shares a lot of similar characteristics to the standard bottling of Box Dalvve, although with less smoke here. Still, the fruitiness and woodiness pick up more, which is nice.

This is probably a reasonable replacement for the Mackmyra First Edition, especially at lower cost. Brukswhisky does have a more watery mouthfeel and less robust finish than its predecessor, however.

The guys at Quebec Whisky are all really big fans of this one (especially Martin). Serge of Whisky Fun gives it an about average score. Less positive are TOModera and Unclimbability of Reddit, and Dominic of Whisky Advocate. The most negative I’ve seen is Thomas of Whisky Saga. Personally, I’d give it a slightly below average score, consistent with the Meta-Critic average. Great value for the price around here.

Following along with the second of the Mackmyra “Season” expressions that I have on hand is Mackmyra Iskristall. Meaning “ice crystal”, this was actually one of the first releases in the Seasons line. It was released in late 2014, and is of course long gone for most now.

This whisky has been matured in a mix of American oak, ex-bourbon casks and Swedish oak (so, more in keeping with standard Mackmyra releases than Blomstertid). However, it has also been finished for a period of time in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. Historically, Mackmyra doesn’t finish for extended periods, but this one is supposedly longer than most (but still only months).

While a no-age-statement release, the average age of the contents in the bottle is reported to be about 7 years old (which is also older than most Mackmyras). Bottled at respectable 46.1%. My sample comes from Redditor Strasse007.

Here is how it compares to some other Mackmyra whiskies in my database:

Although there are few reviews so far, Iskristall gets a very good average score – especially compared to most Special or Season editions.

Here is what I find in the glass:

Colour: Light gold, with a slight reddish-brown tint.

Nose: I might have guessed a wine barrel finishing initially – there are fruity head notes, along with an underlying sourness. Dried red berries (cherries, strawberries) along with typical fresh apple and pear. Vanilla. Cinnamon. Classic Mackmyra menthol and juniper/evergreen notes, definitely woody. Pine sap. Dried glue. It is interesting, I kind of like it.

Palate: Wow, this packs a surprising punch. I get a real hit of one of those “intense ice” chewing gums – tons of mint and eucalyptus. I have never had this much of a cooling sensation before, it is well named! Lots of cinnamon and additional baking spices, plus pepper. Once that initial rush settles down, I can detect significant honey added to the vanilla. Fruits are still there, but definitely take a back seat. Quite sweet in the end, with that real stinging mint/eucalyptus combination lingering.

Finish: Fruits come back more to the fore in the finish, with the same dried fruits as the nose (plus some raisin now). Toasted oak. Slow menthol fade out.

Now that is more like it – this is classic Mackmyra amped up to an incredible degree. If you are already a Mackmyra fan, you’ll probably love this. That said, I wouldn’t necessarily start with this as your first Mackmyra – it has an intense mint/eucalyptus experience that is quite unique and intense.

Mackmyra is an innovative Swedish single malt whisky producer. I quite enjoyed their original signature release, the First Edition, which I found brought in some unusual evergreen/coniferous notes.

They have continued to produce a diverse range of special editions over the years – most recently, through the “Season” series (which replaces the old “Special” series). In this and the following review, I am looking at two specific examples, starting with Mackmyra Blomstertid (“flower time”) here.

This no-age-statement whisky is bottled at a reasonable 46.1% ABV. It is distinctive for the range of casks that have gone into the mix. Specifically, Blomstertid has been matured in:

Ex-bourbon casks that previously held cherry wine (about a third of the casks used for Blomstertid)

American oak casks (new and first fill)

Oloroso sherry casks

Pedro Ximenez sherry casks

I don’t think I’ve seen a cherry wine cask before, and so am curious as to what this might bring to the final whisky. Mackmyra Blomstertid was launched on 2016-05-06, and now seems to be long gone. My sample came from Redditor Strausse007.

Here is how it compares to some other Mackmyra whiskies in my database:

Although there are few reviews so far, Blomstertid gets a below average score for the class, lower than most Special or Season editions.

Here is what I find in the glass:

Colour: Dark amber, but a touch reddish-brownish (likely the cherry wine, I imagine)

Nose: Light and delicate (I might even say a bit closed off). Brown sugar and maple syrup. Mixed berries (red berries especially), but with an artificial candied fruit smell (strawberry licorice). Vanilla. Some black pepper to go with a light nutmeg spice. Some acetone. The nose grows on me with time, but it is a pretty subtle experience. Definitely doesn’t have the boldness of a fresh wine cask finish.

Palate: Oddly flat, with tons of cola and caramel/butterscotch – overwhelmingly so. Milk chocolate. Super-sweet, like a melted Caramilk bar. Way too candied for my tastes, very syrupy (and I can handle a lot of sweetness). Some oaky wood spices show up over time, bringing a bit of (much needed) character. Seems light for 46%.

Finish: Short. Really just the candied sweetness, with a slight bitterness (grapefruit) coming up at the end. Not one you will want to linger over.

Not sure what I expected here, but this wasn’t it – an overwhelming confectionery sugar and caramel explosion, with relatively little fruit. Seems very young, with vague and nondescript flavours. No real off notes, just not a lot of complexity. Definitely more of a dessert whisky.

This might make a good beginners whisky, with its sweet candied tones. But it almost tastes like one of those mixtures of maple syrup and whisky that you can find around here in Canada (which really aren’t my cup of tea).

Both Strasse007 on Reddit and Thomas of Whisky Saga gave this whisky below average scores (although with reasonably positive reviews). My own score matches their, thus explaining the low standard deviation above. There are much better Mackmyras out there to try.

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